


Surprise Me (Just Not Too Much)

by Myrime



Category: Iron Man (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel
Genre: Arguing, Established Relationship, Family, Fluff, Living Together, Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Stark Industries, Tony Does Not Make The Best Decisions, Tony Needs a Hug, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 01:27:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20592383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myrime/pseuds/Myrime
Summary: When Rhodey comes home one night to find Tony sitting amongst moving boxes, he suspects the worst, that Tony is breaking up with him. The truth, as it turns out, does not have him any less worried.





	Surprise Me (Just Not Too Much)

**Author's Note:**

> For [Ironhusbands Week](https://ironhusbandsweek.tumblr.com/) Day 3: "You know what you're doing, right?"
> 
> Enjoy!

The distinct sound of the key in the lock has Tony straighten with sudden panic. He is sitting on the ground in a mess of things he thinks about throwing away, but between him and the door is an assortment of moving boxes that he would not be able to hide even if he were quick enough to get to them before the door opens.

So that is how Rhodey finds him. Arms raised like a shield in front of him, eyes blown wide, and definite panic on his face. He could not have looked guiltier if he had tried.

To give Rhodey credit, he takes in the situation before he comes to any conclusions, then takes a step farther into their apartment and closes the door with a too calm expression.

“What is going on?” he asks, very carefully holding all accusations out of his tone. In his place, Tony is certain he would not have remained this unmoved.

“Platypus,” Tony calls, voice too high to be natural. “I didn’t think you’d be home so early.” Swallowing, he closes his eyes, cursing his mouth for speaking without waiting for his head to give the green light.

“What does that mean?” Rhodey asks, staying right where he is, eyeing the mess Tony has turned their hallway into. “Were you planning on moving out while I was not looking?”

The very thought has Tony feeling sick. This apartment has been his first real home. All the credit for that belongs to Rhodey.

“No,” Tony exclaims hastily and gets to his feet but stays where he is, unsure whether he will be welcome. “No, it’s just, I’m turning twenty-one next week.”

With that, Tony’s mouth clicks shut. He has tried to prepare an explanation, but he is not good with words. Somehow, he always messes it up, no matter how much he practices. He thought he would have more time, did not expect Rhodey to be home so soon, catching him red-handed. A week longer, and everything would have been done and – well, that would not have made it easier, but Tony would not have had a chance to hide anymore.

“I’m aware,” Rhodey answers dryly, not taking his eyes off Tony as if that could cause the moving boxes between them to disappear. “I’ve got a secret party planned where we lock our door and spend the day with cheeseburgers and ice cream without ever getting out of bed.”

“That’s –” Tony cuts himself off. Perfect is what that is. An entire day with Rhodey. No obligations, no projects, no training. That is all he would have wished for if asked. “That’s utterly predictable but still very sweet of you.”

Tony smiles but Rhodey does not answer in kind. Stomach roiling, Tony feels rising nausea.

“Well, it was until you were apparently planning to break up with me by disappearing without a word,” Rhodey says, keeping his tone so flat that the words do not register with Tony for a long minute.

When they do, he winces, staring at Rhodey, aghast. How could Rhodey ever come to a conclusion like that? There is no arguing that Tony is a disaster of a human being who manages to mess up even the simplest things, but this?

“That’s not what this is,” Tony argues, feeling breathless. In all the ways he thought this could go wrong, this was not among them. “I’m not breaking up with you. Ever.”

That would mean to throw away the best thing that has ever happened to him. His best friend. The love of his life.

Crossing his arms, Rhodey finally takes a step forward, if only to nudge one of the as of yet empty boxes with his foot.

“Explain this, then,” he says, in that tone that means he is not going to take any more excuses as an answer.

“I, all right,” Tony mutters, and cautiously stays where he is. Gathering his courage, he looks at Rhodey and says, “Obie called.”

He sees Rhodey stiffen and has been waiting for it too. Rhodey has never warmed to Obadiah. The animosity goes both ways, really. Whenever Tony asked, he did not get a clear answer from either of them. Rhodey said he does not know why, that Obadiah just rubs him wrong, but Tony is sure that is just because Rhodey has a fundamental distrust of everybody who was involved in Tony’s upbringing. It is endearing right up until it is not.

“What did he want?” Rhodey asks in a flat tone, even less willing now to let the matter rest.

Judging on the way they are standing, with the entire hall between them, tiny as it is, it feels entirely too much as if they are facing off. Tony wishes nothing more than that he left the moving boxes in his lab for a week longer.

“I’m turning twenty-one,” Tony repeats himself, unable to avoid the inevitable for any longer. Again, his voice gives out, knowing how little Rhodey will like this.

“I am still aware of that,” Rhodey comments, not hiding his impatience anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Tony keeps his head up and just lets out the truth. There is no cushioning it anyway.

“I’m getting control of SI back once I turn twenty-one. I would have just let Obie stay on as CEO, but he talked to me and said how much better it would be if I came back, that the company needs a ‘Stark at the helm’ again. I –” Shrugging, Tony trails off, unable to look Rhodey in the eye.

Obadiah’s call has surprised nobody more than him. He thought Obadiah was happy with the state of things, considering that Tony does not have much patience for business and Obadiah has not much patience for him these days. As supportive as he had been after Tony’s parents’ death, he probably thought Tony would get over his grief and the subsequent acting out quicker than this.

What Obadiah calls _acting out_ is mostly just Tony having his own ideas about what to do with his life. Namely staying in Boston, sharing his apartment and life with Rhodey, and building more exciting things than weapons.

“You want to go back to SI?” Rhodey asks and sounds taken aback about it. His posture loses some of its defensiveness.

Tony does _not_ want to. Life is good here. Up until now, everything has worked out well enough with him sending the occasional blueprint to R&D without ever having to get directly involved in how the company is run. Obadiah just thinks that is not going to cut it anymore.

He does not know what to say, so he bites his lip and stares at the boxes at his feet.

“Tones, look at me,” Rhodey all but orders and waits with infinite patience until Tony complies. His eyes are not as cool anymore, but the matter is far from resolved. “What are you doing?”

_The usual_, Tony wants to say, _making life more complicated._ Instead, he shrugs as if he could ever appear casual in a moment like this.

“You’re shipping out next week,” Tony finally answers, ignoring how much he is dreading that moment when the war is going to steal Rhodey from him again. “I thought that would be a good time for me to move too.”

In his head, it had sounded like a good plan. In any case, it would give him something to do while Rhodey was gone.

“We’re giving up our apartment?” Rhodey questions.

If they were not almost arguing, Tony could have kissed him for the use of _we_. Tony is making things difficult again, but Rhodey still thinks of them as a team, is still willing to follow Tony even without quite knowing where yet. It is his right to not sound too happy about it, though.

“I can keep the lease,” Tony offers and knows it is the wrong thing to say before he watches Rhodey’s face darken.

“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you damn well know it.” Despite the swearing, Rhodey keeps his voice calm, measured. He knows how badly Tony deals with being yelled at. Countless times, Tony has wondered how he deserves Rhodey in his life, and he has not yet come any closer to an answer.

Tony takes a step closer towards Rhodey, holding his arms slightly in front of him as he thinks about reaching out but does not quite dare it.

“I’m not giving up on anything here, Rhodey,” Tony says with vehemence. He knows that, if this relationship will break apart at some point, it will most likely be on him, but Tony is not going to be the one who calls things off. “But what did you think?” he continues, at once apologetic and firm. “That I’d stay in Boston forever, waiting for you to come home to me when you’ve got leave? SI _is_ my company. I have to take responsibility for it at some point.”

Rhodey watches him. He does not look happy, but Tony did not expect him to be. The question is whether they will turn this into an argument – although Tony will not let it come that far. If Rhodey makes him choose, the way forward is clear. Stark Industries has never been that important to Tony, and it is certainly not more important than Rhodey.

“I have never heard you say anything positive about Stark Industries and now you want to take over?” Rhodey asks. A dozen more questions are hidden in there, all of them justified. Tony could not have been happier to turn his back on Stark Industries the very moment his father died. He always knew he could not hide forever, though.

“What else am I going to do?” Tony asks and would gladly take a viable solution. “Obie has been patient enough.”

Cocking his head to the side, Rhodey says, “You could screw them and do what you want.”

It is sometimes hard to reconcile the Rhodey who went to all their classes and did all their classwork with the one who regularly tells him to go against everybody’s expectations of him and take care of his own needs first. Of course, Rhodey needed to be a model student because not everybody can expect to get away with setting fires inside college buildings or correcting their professors or ducking out of classes because they are boring without repercussion. He did not have either the right skin colour, last name, or money for that.

“What if I don’t know what that is?” Tony asks and means it with every fibre of his being.

He wants to stay here instead of moving across the country. He wants to work on his own projects instead of slaving for a company he does not really think is his. He wants to have Rhodey close at all times instead of dealing with people he does not like and who do not like him because he is not enough like his father.

“Then find out,” Rhodey says. It is a challenge. He should know that it will not work to challenge Tony to just be a better version of himself. The rot sits deep within him.

Feeling every step of distance between them like a physical weight on his shoulders, Tony shrugs helplessly. “I don’t have time.”

In response, Rhodey scoffs. “Nonsense, Tony,” he argues. “You’ve got all the time in the world.”

Theoretically, that might even be true. Tony has enough money that he would not need to work a day in his life. The company is doing well enough that it can keep running like this for a while. There is no need to rush. If not for one little thing.

“I’ve already told Obie that I’m coming,” Tony admits sheepishly. He does not look quickly enough away from Rhodey to miss the displeasure flashing over his face.

“Then tell him you’ve changed your mind.”

Perhaps Rhodey thinks it truly is that simple. Sudden irritation flares inside Tony’s chest. Not much of it because he still hates arguing with his boyfriend, but enough that he looks up with fire in his eyes.

“Why are you so against it?” he questions, wishing that the few people he trusts in his life would get along. “It’s my life and my company. I thought you were on my side.”

That is a low blow and completely unwarranted too. The words hang between them for a moment, too late for Tony to take them back.

“I _am,_” Rhodey says firmly, sounding hurt that Tony would suggest otherwise. “But you’ve always been miserable when you had to deal with your father or SI. I just can’t see you returning to that life turning out any better than the first time.”

It is Rhodey’s concern for Tony that causes him to keep arguing, no doubt. Still, it feels like Tony needs to defend himself.

“This time, I’m in charge,” he says but does not wholly believe himself. It might be his name on the building, but he has never led a company of that size or any company at all. He will have to work hard to catch up, to avoid being outmanoeuvred at any time by the sharks of the industry and his own board members.

In front of him, Rhodey’s shoulders slump. Tony is not naïve enough that this is the end of it, but at least it feels like they are not on completely different sides of this anymore.

“You don’t even like New York,” Rhodey points out weakly, looking at the moving boxes as if they have personally offended them.

Bolstered by the change in mood, Tony pushes some of the boxes out of the way and walks closer towards Rhodey so they are not talking from opposite ends of the hall anymore. He still does not dare to reach out but the closeness alone soothes his nerves.

“That’s why we’re moving headquarters to California,” Tony explains quietly, unsure how Rhodey is going to take another surprise. “I’ve set my eyes on a nice strip of land in Malibu for us.”

“For us, hm?” Rhodey says. Just those two words, but they are enough to make Tony feel like his world is crumbling. Where he was at first only afraid that Rhodey would not agree with his decision, he now thinks that Rhodey might not come with him at all.

It was never supposed to be like this. He was going to hide the moving boxes until Rhodey was gone and then let him fly to Malibu when he was next on leave. He would come to the house Tony is picturing for them and it would be too late to doubt his decision because everything was already said and done then, and perhaps Tony would have already found his footing then and everything would be all right. He could have _shown_ Rhodey that everything is all right.

“Of course, for us,” Tony says hurriedly, stumbling over the words while he tries to keep himself from pleading incoherently. “I mean, I’m not going to force you to come with me. I meant it when I said I could keep this apartment for you. It’s just – I – we –”

He is _not_ going to have a panic attack because his own bad planning is catching up with him. There is nothing to be afraid of. They have weathered worse things than this; Howard trying to pay Rhodey off to avoid the headlines of Tony being bisexual, Tony acting like a complete maniac at college with no regard for his own safety. The examples are numerous. In a twisted sort of way, it could be amusing that their downfall is coming now, when they have finally settled down, ready to be their own people.

A hand on his arms has Tony crashing back into the present. Rhodey is there, right in front of him. His eyes are warm but worried.

“Stop that, Tones,” he says quietly, waiting patiently for Tony’s breathing to calm down and the wildness to disappear from his gaze. “I’m not going to break up with you,” he then promises with enough conviction that there is no doubting him. “I just wish you would have told me. Before.”

It was perhaps rather short-sighted of Tony to think that he could avoid arguing about this whole matter by bypassing Rhodey completely. Relocating their home without asking would have probably been even worse than that.

Tony did not know how to ask, though. He cannot yet make sense of his own feelings, so he trusts himself navigating Rhodey’s even less.

“You’re not mad?” Tony asks, cursing himself for the hope evident in his tone. Rhodey is not one to exploit such weaknesses but old habits die hard.

“A little bit,” Rhodey admits, but he has still not taken his hand from Tony’s arm. “Because I don’t think you’ll be happy with this decision.”

Tony knows he will be happy anywhere as long as Rhodey is with him. And when he is not, Tony just needs to keep himself busy. Stark Industries will work just fine.

“I couldn’t leave Obie hanging for any longer,” Tony offers, knowing it has been unfair to shirk his duties for so long. Taking over Stark Industries might not be exactly what he wants to do with his life, but it is what he was raised for.

Sighing, Rhodey pulls him close and rests their cheeks together when Tony guiltily snakes his arms around him.

“You know what you’re doing, right?” Rhodey asks quietly, his breath warm on Tony’s skin. “You know what you’re getting yourself into? This is not just because you feel guilty you ran from SI after your father died?”

As close as they are, there is no room for lies between them, so Tony says, “I think I know what I’m doing.” That is the best he has to offer.

He feels Rhodey relaxing more into their hug. With reawakened humour, Rhodey remarks, “I guess that’s better than usual.”

For a long moment, they just breathe, holding on to each other as if there was a real danger of them not being able to do so again. Tony wishes he would never have to let go, but then he draws back, remaining close enough that they never lose all contact.

“You’re going to come with me, right?” he asks, still afraid of the answer.

“Of course,” Rhodey answers without the slightest reluctance. Only then does he allow himself a smile. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

As if Tony would ever want to get rid of Rhodey. It still surprises him sometimes how much he loves him, how incomplete he feels without Rhodey at his side. Growing up, he had seen both extremes of love. Howard and Maria who were at best cool with each other and at worst cursed each other’s existence. And then Jarvis and Ana, who were perfect, utterly besotted and best friends to boot. If asked, Tony would have put all his money on ending like his father, no matter how much he wished for the opposite. Rhodey is more than his love, he is proof that there is hope for Tony.

Instead of trying to fit all of that into words, Tony takes the coward’s way out and says, “You’ll love the house.”

It is not a lie. The house will be gorgeous and Tony can already imagine them walking down its halls.

“I thought you were only looking at land for now,” Rhodey asks with some suspicion. It would not be the first time that Tony has gone completely overboard.

“I’ve already designed it,” Tony corrects hastily. He has the blueprints lying around and created a 3D model. “Do you want to see or do you want it to be a surprise?”

There are still some problems with the statics and getting the house exactly where he wants it to be. But it is not like a too steep cliff that has made all kinds of architects turn away would actually frighten Tony. He has been picturing their life there, so he is going to make it happen.

“No offence, Tones,” Rhodey says but he is smiling, “but I could do with less of your surprises.”

“I love you?” It ends up sounding too much like a question, although Tony has tried to overcome his insecurity regarding Rhodey’s feelings for him. Rhodey is not the kind of person who would let himself be tied down with someone he does not love, so it is unfair to question his commitment just because Tony still cannot imagine anyone choosing him.

Rhodey’s smile widens when he answers, “And I love you.”

In response, Tony shifts closer and does not hide his relief when Rhodey moves his arm immediately around him again. This is still the safest place in the entire world.

“It’s much warmer in California too,” Tony says quietly, hell-bent on selling the advantages of moving. “And –”

“Stop talking, Tones,” Rhodey shushes him, pressing a kiss into his hair. “I’ve said yes. You should have learned by now to quit when you’re ahead.”

A short bout of laughter tumbles over Tony’s lip. “It usually doesn’t feel like I’m ahead,” he says and means it.

No matter how much he tries, it always feels like he stumbles behind everybody else, trying and failing to keep up, to live up to their expectations. With Rhodey he knows he has someone who will always wait for him instead of running ahead.

“That’s what you’ve got me for. To remind you,” Rhodey remarks good-naturedly. “Now, let’s have a look at that house of ours. And then I’ll help you pack.”

Despite that, they remain where they are for long minutes, just enjoying each other’s closeness. It does not matter what they will pack or what Rhodey will say to the house. Tony would change all of it in a heartbeat. Because this, Tony being held in Rhodey’s arms, is home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
